As with all gambling games, the player wants to walk away with more money than they arrive with. Typically, this is done with achieving winning combinations, meaning matching symbols. Usually, the symbols to be matched on the spinning wheels or video slots screen are brightly colored, easily recognizable objects such as images of fruits, and easy shapes, like hearts, diamonds and stars.

The majority of slots games have many combinations to watch for that would indicate a win. These groupings are nearly always posted on the front of the slot machine, or available readily on your computer screen at home. If combos are hit, money is distributed according to the payout schedule, or prizes such as extra games are won.

Some of the more popular slot machines now are multi-lines. These games allow the player to win on more than one line- meaning that the symbols do not have to come up on the center horizontal line only, but can also be won on the diagonal, double-diagonal, top or bottom center lines, etc. The mechanical machines can be programmed to have three or five paylines, while the computer games can have as many as 25 or 100 different paylines. Typically, video slot machines, and the online versions are themed games with graphics and music based on pop culture. Most games allow the player to bet more than one credit on a turn- allowing the possibility for a greater payout depending on the schedule.

There are differences between reel slot machines and the video slots: the way payouts are calculated. With the mechanical machines, it is to the players advantage to play as many credits as possible- the only way for the gambler to win the maximum jackpot is to play the maximum number of coins. In video slots, however, the fixed payout values are multiplied by the number of coins per line that are being bet. So it increases the wins to play as many lines as possible (increasing the chances of a combination being hit among them) but not necessarily with more than one credit. There are a few game designs that take exception to this programming, requiring the maximum bet to be played to win the jackpot, but they are the minority.

Example: On “Wheel of Fortune (reel version),” in order to win the jackpot, you must win the bonus round, and that is achieved by playing 3 coins per spin. On the video version, you are eligible to win a bonus round regardless of how many coins you bet per turn.

Land-based casinos can offer slot machines with any denomination of minimum bet- it ranges from .01 (penny-slots) to $100. High limit slot machines are typically set apart from the main floor in a “High Limit” area for the comfort of their patrons. Technology now allows the wins to be calculated in credits rather than having a flood of physical coins be dumped out of the machine after each win. The credit system allows gamblers to play more quickly, without the hassle of dealing with the physical coins, and permits gamblers to switch machines easily. When a player is done with a machine, any remaining available credits will print out on a ticket, a receipt to be inserted in another machine or taken to the cage and redeemed for cash- bills, rather than coins.

A new version of slot machines has recently become available, and is becoming more popular: “multi-denomination” machines. Instead of a player choosing the amount to play first and going in search of machines that suit their betting style, (choosing nickel slots first, then finding a game within that category) players can choose a multi-denominational machine and tell the game how much they’d like to bet on each turn (player chooses a Roman-themed game and chooses to bet one dollar each spin.) If their game is going well, or not, they can then change their bets, increasing or decreasing the wagers as they please.

History

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Technology

Payout

Linked Machines

Near-Misses

Fraud

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